The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has begun trial in two lawsuits filed by Ukrainian journalist, Russia’s political prisoner Iryna Danylovych against Russia, Danylovych’s lawyer Serhiy Zayets reported to KrymSOS.
The ECHR opened communication regarding Danylovych’s complaints on 28 Arpil 2026. This means that the court has already examined the lawsuits and now requires explanations from the respondent state.
The cases in question are:
- № 6579/23 (filed on 15 January 2023) concerning unlawful detention;
- № 4065/25 (filed on 28 January 2025) concerning the journalist’s inclusion in Russia’s “foreign agents” register.
The court found the complaints sufficiently substantiated to submit a query to Russia regarding possible violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. The ECHR also suggested that Ukraine join the cases as a third party. The ECHR has invited the Russian government to submit their observations on the admissibility and merits of the complaints.
The first complaint concerns the events of 2022, when Iryna Danylovych was detained by FSB officers in temporarily occupied Simferopol on 29 April and held incommunicado. The detention was officially registered as late as 7 May, when a Russia-installed court in Simferopol ruled to hold her in custody on suspicion of illegal possession of explosives. Danylovych was convicted in December 2022 and has been imprisoned in a in pre-trial detention center since then.
In this part of the case, the ECHR will consider a possible violation of the right to liberty and security of person (Article 5 of the Convention).
The second complaint concerns the 3 June ruling by the Russian Ministry of Justice to include Danylovych in the “foreign agents” register. This may constitute a violation of the right to privacy (Article 8 of the Convention), freedom of expression (Article 10), and the prohibition of discrimination and abuse of rights (Articles 14 and 18).
According to the plaintiff, being assigned this status has resulted in public stigmatisation, more reporting requirements and restrictions on her professional work.
At the next stage, the parties must submit written explanations, after which the ECtHR will assess the admissibility of the applications and examine them on the merits for possible violations of the Convention.
The case of Iryna Danylovych
Iryna Danylovych was detained on 29 April 2022, in the occupied Crimea. She was detained on her way from work on the road from Koktebel to Feodosia. Her house in Vladislavivka village was searched, her phone and laptop were seized.
Iryna Danylovych worked as a nurse, and was also a citizen journalist, covering the healt care workers’ rights and problems of the health care system in Crimea.
On 29 June 2023, it was reported that the Russian-backed Supreme Court of Crimea changed the ruling in the case of Iryna Danylovych, who had been previously sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of storing an explosive device.
On 2 November 2023, it was reported that Iryna Danylovych had suffered a stroke while still in the Simferopol PTDC.
In August 2023 Iryna Danylovych’s father, Bronyslav Danylovych, said that she had lost all hearing in her left ear and is receiving no medical assistance.
In November 2024 Iryna reported heart pain and headaches and said that the left side of her body was numb after a microstroke.
It was reported in March 2025 that Iryna Danylovych was in a prison in Russia’s Stavropol Kray, sharing a barrack with 120 inmates.
In July 2025, the unlawfully imprisoned citizen journalist Iryna Danylovych addressed Pina Picierno, Vice President of the European Parliament, asking her to address the mass abuse of inmates in women’s colony No. 7 in Zelenokumsk (Russia), where she is imprisoned.
Pina Picierno supported Iryna Danylovych and said that those responsible for the unjust imprisonment of her and other persons must answer for their actions.
In January 2026, Iryna Danylovych called on the international community to put more effort into raising awareness of the plight of Russia’s political prisoners in 2026.